2d Defendant Convicted In 4 West Side Murders

A second man was found guilty Wednesday night of stabbing to death four people on the West Side and trying to kill a 6-year-old girl who survived to identify him at the trial as her assailant.

A Cook County Criminal Court jury deliberated 3 1/2 hours before finding Bobby Driskel, 25, guilty of the four counts of murder as well as attempted murder, armed robbery, aggravated battery of a child and residential burglary. The jury acquitted him of home invasion.

``I`m glad justice has been done,`` said Edith Winder, a relative of some of the victims. ``The nightmare is over.``

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Driskel at a hearing beginning Thursday.

Last month, another jury sentenced Lawrence Jackson, 24, to death after convicting him of murdering Mark ``Tiny`` Brown, 25; his girlfriend, Vernita Winder, 22; her daughter, Dana, 4; and Shirley Martin, 23, on Sept. 24, 1986. Prosecutors Paula Daleo, Joseph McNerney and Joseph Barbaro said Driskel and Jackson went to Brown`s apartment in the Henry Horner Homes public housing project to rob him of money.

``They wanted more cocaine,`` Barbaro said in a closing argument.

They found no cash but hocked a television set and videocassette recorder for $120 after killing the four and leaving Winder`s daughter Urica, then 6, for dead.

In testimony Tuesday, Driskel admitted planning to burglarize the apartment but blamed Jackson for all four murders, claiming he went berserk. He also testified he stabbed Urica twice, but only after the 290-pound Jackson threatened him at knifepoint.

Urica, who survived despite 48 stab wounds, took the stand last week to identify Driskel as her assailant. She also testified at Jackson`s trial that Jackson stabbed Martin after she told him, ``I love you.``

In a confession after his arrest, Driskel said he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed Brown, but the blade broke. He said he returned to the kitchen for another knife, but that also broke as he tried stabbing Winder. He then grabbed a scissors and stabbed her, according to his confession.

He also confessed to catching Urica as she tried to escape and stabbing her numerous times.

Urica testified that she played dead by holding her breath and rolling her eyes back.

``They failed to make this a crime without witness, despite Bobby`s best efforts,`` Barbaro said.

Driskel testified that police beat the confession from him, but Daleo said that physical evidence supported Driskel`s confession. A broken knife was found under Brown`s body, and a scissors was lying next to Winder`s body.

Barbaro also noted that Driskel alone hocked the TV and VCR shortly after the murders and stayed at Jackson`s home that night despite his testimony that he feared for his life.

In addition, blood consistent with three of the victim`s type was found on Driskel`s fingernails.

Patrick Gleason, Driskel`s attorney, called Driskel ``one more victim here,`` referring to his contention that Jackson killed the four victims and forced Driskel to stab Urica twice.

Gleason pointed out that a cousin of Jackson`s testified that Jackson had confessed the murders to him.